Biographical Sketch of Dr. Haberal:

Dr. Haberal became one of the most highly regarded transplant physicians in the world because of his many contributions to the advancement of the science and medicine of organ transplantation. Professor Haberal is the Founder and President of the Turkish Transplantation Society (TOND) and Founder and first President of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation (MESOT). He served as Councilor of The Transplantation Society (TTS) representing the Middle East and Africa for the term 2004-2008 and as President of the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) for the term 2006-2008. In 2012, Prof. Haberal founded and is currently President of The World Academy of Medical, Biomedical and Ethical Sciences (WAMBES). Prof. Haberal is also Founder and President of Baskent University in Ankara, Turkey, which has established 10 hospitals and 14 dialysis centers throughout the country. In the general election held on June 12, 2011, Prof. Haberal was elected a Member of Parliament from the province of Zonguldak on behalf of the People’s Republican Party (CHP).

The Declaration of Istanbul:

The Declaration of Istanbul (DoI) was published in 2008 --calling for the prohibition of organ trafficking, transplant commercialism and transplant tourism. Transplant commercialism targets the impoverished and other vulnerable groups, such as minors, illiterate persons, undocumented immigrants, prisoners, and political or economic refugees. The DoI presents a set of proposals to implement ethical practices of organ donation and transplantation. Aligned with the World Health Organization goals espoused in the Madrid Resolution, the DoI recommends that jurisdictions, countries and regions strive to achieve self-sufficiency in organ donation by providing a sufficient number of organs for residents in need from within the country or through regional cooperation. The DoI has been endorsed by more than 130 organizations, including medical associations and governmental bodies throughout the world.

In 2010, with the background of the DoI as a reference document, the World Health Assembly approved a revised set of “WHO Guiding Principles for Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation,” reiterating the World Health Organization’s long-standing opposition to organ sales and its support for the development of deceased organ donation.

Also in 2010, the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG) was constituted to promote the principles and to achieve the goals of the Declaration, specifically:

To develop a comprehensive framework for policy and practice directed at the global challenges of a shortage of organs for transplantation and unmet patient needs.

To ensure the protection and safety of living donors and appropriate recognition for their heroic act while combating transplant tourism, organ trafficking and transplant commercialism.

IHTEF to Link the Haberal Legacy in Transplantation to the Declaration of Istanbul:

The DICG seeks to link indelibly the legacy of Professor Haberal's contributions to the field of transplantation and his steadfast devotion to developing ethically proper practices of deceased and living organ donation around the world, now through the creation of the International Haberal Transplantation and Education Foundation.

Mission of IHTEF for the Declaration of Istanbul:

The mission of the IHTEF is to collaborate with the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group in promoting, sustaining and monitoring the implementation of the Declaration of Istanbul worldwide. IHTEF and DoI will foster systems of living and deceased organ donation free of coercion, exploitation, commercialism or human trafficking and to help countries develop means to achieve self-sufficiency in organ donation and transplantation.

Henceforth, as the history of organ transplantation is written, the name of Professor Mehmet Haberal will be enduringly associated with the Declaration of Istanbul.

Administrative Support:

Nicole Kassas, Dr. Haberal’s long standing and devoted assistant will be International Coordinator of the Foundation for communications related to the IHTEF.

Thank you:

We wish to express our appreciation to Faissal Shaheen as a Founder of the DoI and by his commitment to DICG for his visit to Dr. Haberal in support of this initiative.